What do you think? Would playing Chile help or hurt us before WCQ's? They've got an open date and perhaps it would be nice to fill it - get a game in and make us happy in these months of inactivity. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=277506&cc=5901 Thoughts?
as long as they play in Chile , our nat team needs to play more games away from home... ok now i read the story, so next month our team won't be able to travel has to be here in the states, ...yes why not give a chance to some MLS stars to make an impression
I agree 100%. I would love to see some guys like Martino, Buddle and Brown or Hartman get some experience playing someplace like Santiago. We don't play enough matches on the road to toughen up our youngsters. I'd love it.
I would love for the US to play Chile. My girlfriend's parents were both born there, would be interesting. Isn't that right in the heart of the MLS playoff race though? I bet Bruce waits until all that is over for a game...
No way the Burce take the players to Chile in the middle of the MLS playoffs. Also, the European clubs wouldnt be to high on this idea either. Given the fact that the team will be playing 10 qualifing games in each of the next two years, most during the MLS season, plus other friendlies and maybe the Copa America for a month next summer, he's making a good call in just leaving them with MLS for a while. If Chile wants to play in late November to January then we'll talk.
(listening to last week's world soccer on bigsoccer archive radio. Just finished the John Terry interview...) I too would like to see Bruce take an MLS team at the end of the season in November down to play Chile (Hey, let Johnny Walker play in goal!), but it can't be before the end of MLS.
Well, i'll have to agree with others then. an oct. 12th date would be extremely disruptive to our players at the height of their season. I would love to see the US play Chile, but that's just not going to fly .......
We don't have to wait until all the way to MLS Cup if we don't want to, though. For instance, members of the Dallas Burn could commit to being available during the playoffs already.
We've interrupted MLS for the Gold Cup and the Confederation Cup. Let's leave the national team alone until after Christmas. Have a few friendlies in January and February to prepare for WC06 qualifying and the next MLS season.
well we are getting away here from the point of this topic and to make sure everyone is clear i paste here qoute : "SANTIAGO, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Chile want to play a friendly next month but are struggling to find opposition, Chilean football federation (FCF) president Reinaldo Sanchez said on Wednesday" For one this was on Sept 17 th and they want to play next month that is October . Chile is looking for a team to play in October not Nov or Dec or Jan, we are clear on that. It is a choice yes or no simple. As we are going to be in the middle of the playoffs its hard to envision us doing this. For one Chile would have to travel to the USA, and Bruce would have to find a few players that are AVAILAVLE for a friendly. Easy right. US Nats really need to play some games away from home, its very very important in our preparations .
Well, if we're talking about a game on Oct. 12, that's a FIFA open date, so we could theoretically fly players over the pond to come to the game. Four MLS teams (SJ, Colorado, Columbus, Chicago)play on Friday night the 10th, and could theoretically play a Sunday friendly. Plus, the Burn may be mathematically eliminated and make players available. We could theoretically field: Donovan - McBride Martino Beasley - Henderson Mastroeni Gibbs - Bocanegra - Berhalter - Cherundolo Cannon bench: Razov Buddle Mulrooney Armas Hejduk C.J. Brown Thornton HOWEVER, it's quite a rally to come back over the pond for a friendly, and it's a lot to ask for people to play an extra game late in the playoff stretch. Columbus may not want any of their guys to go, because they may well be in a tough battle for the last playoff spot in the East, still. A guy like Donovan would probably be better off resting than squeezing in an extra game as the playoffs approach. You could field a decent team, and even replace some of the above squad with guys who are itching for a look, but I question whether a friendly that isn't preparing US for anything in the short term helps more than it hurts, even against a pretty good opponent like Chile.
Comments about the US playing away games make me laugh. Did any of you attend the US-ES Gold Cup game? That was a home game for the US. I agree that some away games would be great. But not at the expense of the MLS playoffs. Lets play away games during the MLS playoff's because the US-Mexico game in Houston was a home one for the United States.
Then the Home Depot Center would be perfect! Anyway if the match is right after MLS's first playoff round, Bruce could make up a team of players from teams that had been eliminated. That would mean Clint and Landon and several stars would be available.